Improvement in water-wheels



3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

E. (a; LIBBY.

TurbineWheel.

NO 127076, Patent-ed May 21,1872.

No. 127,076., Wwr

warm

U ITED STATES .a'rmvr rrron. I

ELBRIDGE. G. LIBBY, OF MEDFORD, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND J OEL \V. UPHAM, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IM PROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,076, dated May 21, 1872.

To all whom it may concern.- force of the water is utilized to a much greater Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE G. LIBBY, of extent than heretofore. Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State To enable others skilled in the art to underof Massachusetts, have invented certain Imstand and use my invention, I will proceed to provements in Turbine Water Wheels, of describe the manner in which I have carried it which the following is a full, clear, and exact out. description, reference being had to the accom- In the said drawing, Ais the vertical shaft, panying drawing making part of this specifithe bottom of which rests upon a step, B, in cation, in which the center of the wheel-pit 0. To this shaft is Figure 1 is a perspective view of my irnattached the turbine-Wheel D, provided with proved water-wheel, detached. Fig. 2 is a horan upper rim, a, and a lower rim, 1), which are izontal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a parallel to each other, and inclined downward perspective view of my improved bed-plate, and outward from the center of the wheel. provided with leading curves or passages for (See Fig. 7.) Between these rims, and at right guiding the water into the wheel. Fig. 4. is an angles thereto, are secured a series of floats or elevation of the bed-plate. Fig. 5 is a per-' buckets, c, which are consequently inclined spective view of the gate I employ. Fig. 6 is downward and inward, the surface of each float an elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a vertical being curved, as seen in Fig. 2, the degree of section through the center of the gate, bedcurvature being greatest at its inner or inlet plate, and wheel, when put together and in a end. Upon the floor of the flume, over the position ready for use. top of the wheel-pit, rests an inclined bed- In turbine water-wheels, as heretofore conplate, E, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) which is horizonstructed,the floats or bucketshave been placed tal from the point 10 to the point 11, and inin a vertical position between rims parallel to clined from the point 12 to the point 13 down each other, and extending horizontally around toward the axis of the'wheel, passages d for the wheel or the floats or buckets have been guiding the water upon the floats or buckets placed between vertical rims, also parallel to being formed in this inclined portion 12 to 13 each other, and extending around the wheel. by which construction the water strikes the In the former case the water impinges on the inner or inlet portion of each float c at or nearly buckets at an acute angle; and although it is at right angles, and passes down and outward discharged at the outer periphery of the wheel, from the center in about the same direction as yet its centrifugal force is only utilized to a it had when first impinging upon the floats, limited extent 5 and, in the latter case, where whereby the centrifugal force is utilized to a the water strikes the floats and then passes much greater extent than heretofore. c is a down through the wheel, or in wheels where metallic sleeve, through which the shaft A the water is discharged toward the center, the passes, and by which it is steadied and held in centrifugal force is entirely lost. a central position. This sleeve,when worn, This invention consists in a bed-plate hav-' can be readily replaced by another at a trifling in g the portion in which are formed the pascost. G, Fig. 5, is a register-gate placed upon sages for guiding the water onto the buckets I the bed-plate, and turning around the shaftA inclined down and toward the axis of the as a center. This gate is provided with aperwheel, in combination with a wheel provided tures f, corresponding in number and form to withfloats or buckets inclined in the same dithe apertures 01 in the bed-plate, the gate berection as the inclined portion of the bedplate, ing also inclined at an angle similar to that of the rims, between which the floats are secured, the inclined portion 12 to 13 of the bed-plate, being inclined downward and outward from and resting on the lower portion 13 of the the center, by which construction the water, same. The central portion of the bed-plate as it leaves the leading curves, impinges at or and that of the gate are of nearly conical form, nearly at right angles upon the surfaces of the a space, h, being left-between them, into which floats or buckets, and is discharged at the pethe water flows through the openings 6, the riphery of the wheel, whereby the centrifugal pressure of the water serving to slightly lift the gate so as to relieve in a measure its friction on the inclined portion 13 of the bed-plate. The gate G is provided with a short rack, k,

with which engages a pinion, Z, the shaft of which revolves in bearings secured to the bedplate, by which means the gate can be moved to increase or diminish the size of the inletapertures, through which the water is directed upon the floats or buckets, and the supply of water is thus regulated as required. mm are stopsforpreventin g the gate from being turned too far in either direction.

Claims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The bed-plate E, with its portion 12 to 13 inclined down and toward the axis of the ELBRIDGE G. LIBBY. In presence of P. E. TESGEEMACHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

